Kidambi Srikanth saved two match points to beat Denmark's Rasmus Gemke 18-21, 21-16, 24-22 and reach the last 16 of the Kumamoto Masters in Japan on Wednesday. The former world number one needed one hour and eight minutes to complete a comeback that looked unlikely when he trailed in the deciding game.

Srikanth lost the opening game 18-21 at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium before fighting back to take the second 21-16 and force a decider. The third game swung back and forth, with Gemke pushing the Indian to the edge of defeat before Srikanth held his nerve, saved two match points and closed out the match 24-22.

The win takes Srikanth, now ranked 31st in the world, into the round of 16 at the Super 500 event, where he will face fifth seed Kodai Naraoka of Japan. It was a reminder of the quality that once took the 33-year-old to the top of the world rankings, and it came against an opponent who had pushed him all the way.

A match that turned late

Gemke started the stronger of the two, taking the first game and putting Srikanth under pressure from the start. The Dane erased a deficit in the second game to draw level, but Srikanth regained control to take it 21-16 and keep the match alive.

The decider was the tightest game of all. Srikanth found himself behind and facing defeat, but he refused to let the match slip away, saving two match points before winning the last points to seal a 24-22 victory. The comeback was the standout moment of the day for the Indian camp in Kumamoto.

Srikanth's win continues a strong week for Indian badminton at the tournament, which runs from 10 to 15 November. His experience showed in the closing stages, when the rallies were at their longest and the pressure at its highest, and he found a way through when Gemke looked the likelier winner.

Sen also through in Kumamoto

Lakshya Sen also advanced to the pre-quarterfinals on Wednesday, beating Chinese Taipei's Chi Yu Jen 21-19, 21-18 in 49 minutes. The eighth seed will next face China's Dong Tian Yao in the round of 16.

There was more Indian success in the doubles events. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, the world championship bronze medallists, reached the pre-quarterfinals in the women's doubles, while Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun were due to face Japan's Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi for a place in the quarter-finals of the men's doubles.

For Srikanth, the next test is a tough one. Naraoka, the fifth seed and a home favourite, will have the crowd behind him in Kumamoto, and the Japanese player has been in strong form on home soil. But Srikanth will take confidence from the way he fought back against Gemke, and from the knowledge that he has beaten top players in this kind of situation before.

The Kumamoto Masters is one of nine Super 500 events on the BWF World Tour, and a deep run here would be a significant result for Srikanth as he looks to climb back towards the top of the rankings. For now, though, the focus is on recovery and preparation for Thursday's meeting with Naraoka.

Sources: Devdiscourse, reporting Olympics.com and Flashscore.